by Jeanne Gehret
by Jeanne Gehret
When Annie Anthony stepped off the train in Kansas, she didn’t know the dust would stick to everything. Fresh from Martha’s Vineyard with trunks full of fine dresses and the manners to match, she was ready for married life—but not for the Wild West version.
Through election mobs and bloodshed, Kansas had become a state only three years before the new Mrs. Anthony arrived in 1864. But the end of territorial wars did not bring peace. The region was still reeling from years of violence over slavery, and Annie found herself in the midst of the Civil War. Leavenworth, just across the river from slave-holding Missouri, was still the Wild West.
New Challenges in a harsh landscape
Leavenworth was larger than Annie’s quiet hometown, but transportation was rough in that era before you could phone for an Uber. Even if you had your own carriage, hitching up the horse in rain or snow was no small feat. That made walking the easiest way to get around town. But that created a challenge of its own. Spring mud could suck the boots right off your feet!
Annie’s first months in Kansas were marked by long rutted streets, violence, and a life that didn’t match the etiquette books. Still, she kept her head up and her hem (mostly) clean.
Writing Born of This Fire
One of the delights of writing Born of This Fire has been exploring what it meant to be a woman in a world where nothing matched the rules she knew. Annie may have arrived with a wardrobe of an Edgartown heiress, but Kansas had its own ideas. Silk might work for Sunday dinner, but it was worse than useless for spring marketing or an impromptu horseback ride.
Yet Annie didn’t give up the gowns. In the few photos we have of her, she dressed exquisitely.
The balance of grit and grace
Although Leavenworth was the largest city in 1864 Kansas, it was still more frontier town than genteel city. Frontier women weren’t one-note. They stitched beauty into harsh landscapes, managed homes, hosted gatherings, held secrets, and occasionally broke a rule or two. They worked hard and still set a table with care. Grit didn’t cancel out grace. You could fight your own battles and still savor the feel of satin sleeves.
What’s in it for us today?
That balance isn’t just historical. Modern women know it well. Many of us juggle jobs, caregiving, community life—and relationships. Whether you’re supporting a partner’s ambitions, weathering a rough patch, or carrying more than your share of the load, you’ve felt the strain and the strength of relationships. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you carry, and sometimes you just keep showing up when the script falls apart.
Like Annie, you might find yourself with a complicated man and an even more complicated life. And yet—you stay, you speak up, you adapt. All while keeping some small thing that reminds you of who you are: your mother’s earrings, your favorite mug, or yes, your go-to dress.
Final reflection
So if you ever think elegance can’t hold its own, remember Annie Anthony. She brought lace to Kansas—and carved out a place for herself amid the plain sunbonnets of the Wild West.
Looking forward
I’m watching my mailbox—this week, my copy editor will return the updated manuscript of Born of This Fire so I can give it some final tweaks. After that, it’s on to formatting to make the inside pages a pleasure to read. I’ve also been working on the cover, and I can’t wait to show it to you next month. Stay tuned!
Want a new short story?
I just finished Trust in These Vows (formerly The Urgent Plea of Susan B.), and you can get it for free when you sign up to my newsletter.
About the story:
Annie Anthony, a genteel heiress from Martha’s Vineyard, has come to the Anthony family farm in upstate New York to meet her new relations before journeying west with her husband Daniel. There she discovers that the once-Quaker household takes a dim view of Daniel’s sharpshooting prowess—even as she herself witnesses the lightning speed of his draw.
His sister, Susan B. Anthony—fiercely devoted to her brother though wise to his ways—fears that Annie has little notion of the hardships awaiting her in the Wild West. But Susan is not one to sit idly by. Join her as she combines dry wit and wisdom to teach Annie how to avoid disastrous missteps—without raising Daniel’s hackles.
Happy reading!
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